Valley Quest is a series of more than150 treasure hunts that teach andshare the natural and cultural historyof the Upper Valley region. People ofall ages enjoy Questing; and many have discovered that it is a special family activity. Follow intriguing maps and clues to find theUpper Valley region’s secret places! A day outQuesting will help you discover and learnabout the landscape and heritage we share.

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About Valley QuestN

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New & old favorites!

Edited by Steven Glazer & Laura DintinoPhotographs by Ted Levin, Jon Gilbert Fox, & the Valley News

Tr e a su r e Hu n t s t o Sp e c i a l P l a c e s

Best ofValley Quest

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Best of Valley Quest includes 70 treasure hunts to beloved naturaland cultural destinations.

ISBN: 978-0-9708460-2-0$24.95

VALLEY QUEST is one of four programs of Vital Communities, a regional non-profit organization serving the Upper Valley region.

VALLEY QUEST104 Railroad Row

White River Junction, VT802.291.9100 / www.vitalcommunities.org

info: laura@vitalcommunities.org

A v a i l a b l e a t o u r b o o k s t o r e !

• Blacksmith Covered Bridge Quest, Cornish, NH• Cornish Flat Village Quest, Cornish, NH• CREA Natural Communities Quest, Cornish, NH• American Precision Museum Quest, Windsor, VT• Windsor Architectural Quest, Windsor, NH

Other Quests in the Area

How to QuestValley Quest’s maps and clues—created by local students and community members—will help you discover the natural and cultural wonders of the Upper Valley. At the end of each Quest findthe hidden treasure box. Sign in the guest book and collect animpression of the unique Quest stamp.

Valley Quest Patches & HatsWhen you have solved twenty or more Quests,send a copy of the stamp impressions you’vecollected to Valley Quest at Vital Communities,104 Railroad Row, White River Junction, VT05001. We will send you a Valley Quest cer-tificate and a beautiful Valley Quest patch,which shows our valleys and hills clothed inbright autumn foliage. When you have collect-ed 50 stamps, send us your records and wewill send you the coveted Valley Quest hat.

Valley Quest on the WebGroups are continually creating and submitting

new Quests. There are also older Quests not included in this bookthat are available in the Online Quests section of our website. Visitwww.vitalcommunities.org to find, upload and download additionalQuests. Also use the web site to check for any changes or updatesthat are posted on the Quest Directory.

D i s c o v e r S p e c i a l P l a c e sw i t h V a l l e y Q u e s t

A Treasure Hunt xxx

The Saint-Gaudens Quest

The Saint-Gaudens Quest

OverviewDiscover the beautiful home, studios and gardens ofAugustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America’s greatest sculptors. This National Historic Park is open daily, lateMay through late October, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Admission is $5.00 per person; children 15 and under are free. As a Federal Fee Area, the Federal GoldenPasses and the America the Beautiful Pass are honored. A Saint-Gaudens NHS annual pass is also available. For information: www.nps.gov/saga

This was the place where a famous artist once dwelledHe made sculptures of people and in this he excelledHe grew up in New York City but from Ireland he cameAugustus Saint-Gaudens, you’ll see was his name

The entrance booth is where you check inThe ranger there will gladly help you beginHere you can get a map to aid with your taskAnd if you have questions, it’s a good time to ask

Look for a very large tree in front of a homeit is in that direction that first you should roamThe tree is a honey locust, New Hampshire’s largest they sayOnce the house was an Inn where travelers could stay

If you look out from the porch, a tall mountain you’ll seeIt is all by itself and named Mount AS-CUT-NEYTo hike, and to ski, on its slopes you can go,But it was once a volcano a very long time ago

Head for the building that has a red wallThere are white columns in front, what does that make you recall?Saint-Gaudens loved the culture of old Greece and RomeAnd he used some of their art to beautify his home

Clues

Into this building you now should goThat huge glass window is important to knowIt faces due north, the sun does not directly shine inIt’s the best light to work with no harsh shadows within

This building is known by a special word; STU-DI-O It was designed as workplace for an artist to go.Here Augustus would work with plaster and clayTo create some of the sculptures you see here today

As you walk through the park two kinds of sculptures are foundOnes like Diana the huntress, you can walk all aroundSome have just one side, like those on the wallCalled “reliefs” these can be very large or extremely small

Look closely at the art and you’ll find great detailAnd many you’ll see can tell an interesting tale Look for those of soldiers and presidents, both are on viewYou’ll find children and painters, and animals, too.

Return outside and past the gardens proceedThrough the hole in the hedge the pathway will leadA dark wooden building soon will be foundFind your way inside and look all around

There are wagons and carriages and even a sleighIf the artist went to town, he would travel this wayA strange, dark room with a thick door you will see,It was very cold inside, why do you think that would be?

Out through the wide gate then a left you should take Once in that field straight ahead, a right you would makeTo the stucco wall with a steep sloping roofOf the artist’s talent you will here see more proof

Find the man on a stone carved with fish and a waveHe was an American admiral and was especially braveHe joined the navy as a boy and the true story is toldHow he commanded a ship when just 12 years old!

Find the turtles nearby that seem to drink to excessThrough this space called an Atrium you now should progressAround the walls of the walkways, relief sculptures are setCan you find the one with Dunrobin, the sculptor’s pet?

In the building beyond are sculptures made of real goldPeople carried these in their pockets in days of oldSee the small cameo jewelry, he made these as wellAs a teenager he carved them from stone and from shell

Here sculptures of people you will see around,A general, a pilgrim, a famous author are found.Look closely at one sculpture hanging over a caseAugustus hid his own likeness in the sheepdog’s face

Go back to the field—and to the row of trees all of birchAt the first opening in the hedge there continue your searchSee a group of soldiers that are marching awayIf the men were alive, what do you think they would say?

Led by a man on a horse, as an angel looks down,On these soldiers of color, who are now quite renownedIn the Civil War their bravery set them apart,Now their story is told in movies, books, and in art

Follow the birches and the next room you should enterA mysterious figure sits in the centerIt’s not meant as a portrait, nor for its meaning to be clearIt was to make people think about life as they were seated near

Continue down the path, well past the last hemlock hedgeBetween the field to the left and forested edgeThe sculptor once had a golf course in these fields here below In the winter a long toboggan slide was made through the snow

Keep on walking until a white structure you’ll findWhen you first saw it, what came to mind?It is made of marble mined in an old Vermont quarryAnd was designed by friends of the artist to help tell a story

A century ago, an outdoor play was staged here Actors as Greek gods and goddesses did appearThey spoke in rhyme and did dance and singAt the end chose Saint-Gaudens to be their new king

Turn away from the Temple and look straight acrossSearch at the base of the pine among grass and mossThe hidden box is there, so write a note that you cameAugustus used this self-caricature when he signed his name

Come back again to the park now that you’re not a strangerYou can even earn a patch as a junior park rangerThere is a film you can see, forest trails to exploreWatch a real sculptor work, attend a concert and more

Quest created by Gregory Schwarz in 2008.

This treasure hunt takes 1 hour